Ohio House Approves Baby Olivia Act
Bill aims to educate Ohio students about early human development
Columbus, OH — State Representative Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) today announced that the Ohio House of Representatives has passed the Baby Olivia Act, legislation she championed that would enhance science education in Ohio public schools by requiring the inclusion of a medically accurate video about early human development in school curriculum.
The name of the bill is inspired by a video called Baby Olivia, which shows the life of a baby growing within the womb. Backed by scientific accuracy, the video depicts the moment life begins and beyond to demonstrate each stage of early human development.
“The House’s passage of the Baby Olivia Act is an important affirmation that Ohio values strong, science-based education,” said Miller. “This bill gives students a clearer understanding of early human development, and I’m grateful for my colleagues’ support in making this meaningful step forward for our classrooms.”
House Bill 485 makes the following updates:
- Requires each public school to provide human growth and development instruction in its curriculum for grades 5-12, which must include a high-definition ultrasound video and the “Meet Baby Olivia” video, or a substantially similar video in its human growth and development instruction
- Ensures content is age-appropriate and aligned with educational standards.
- Exempts Chartered-Nonpublic schools, clarifying that this requirement only applies to public schools.
- Explicitly states that a student can be excused from the instruction upon written request of the student’s parent or guardian.
Similar legislation has been introduced in over 20 states, with six states passing these bills into laws.
House Bill 485 passed with a vote of 59-27 and now goes to the Ohio Senate for further consideration.
Rep. Miller’s floor speech on the bill can be viewed here.
